The Umbrella Academy season 3 is coming to Netflix — but don’t expect to see the dysfunctional Hargreeves siblings any time soon. Netflix’s dark superhero drama is currently filming its third season, as teased by Elliot Page in a set photo. But Page’s co-star, Tom Hopper, recently revealed that filming has “a long way to go.”
But at least fans can look forward to an even more bonkers story next season, involving an alternate timeline. After an entire season stuck in the 1960s-era Dallas, the Hargreeves siblings reunited, defeated the nefarious Handler and found a way back to their present day. But what they found when they returned is, well, very different from the status quo.
In the alternate present day, they discovered that Hargreeves adopted different children, except for Ben, since they revealed their identities in Dallas. Now, Ben is part of an entirely different Hargreeves super group, dubbed the Sparrows.
Here’s everything we know so far about The Umbrella Academy season 3.
Umbrella Academy season 3 latest news (updated April 2)
- Tom Hopper (Number One/Luther) said that Covid protocols has prolonged the production process and filming on season 3 has “a long way to go.”
- Star Elliot Page posted an Instagram photo from the set of Umbrella Academy season 3 in February.
- Filming on season 3 began in February.
Umbrella Academy season 3 release date
In November 2020, Netflix announced it ordered Umbrella Academy season 3. The season has a 10-episode order.
Steve Blackman returns as showrunner and executive producer. Production began in February in Toronto, Canada.
Umbrella Academy season 3 filming schedule
When could fans expect to see it? If it follows a similar timeline to the previous seasons, filming will take about five to six months — or even longer.
Tom Hopper, who plays Luther/Number One, recently told Collider, “The COVID protocols mean that we have shorter days, which means that the actual length of the shoot is going to be a lot longer. But yeah, we’re really near the beginning. We’re not that far into it at the moment, so we’ve got a long way to go, but it’s good.”
Let’s say filming on season 3 requires eight or nine months. Post-production (including visual effects) could last around six to eight months. That adds up to anywhere from May to July 2022.
Umbrella Academy season 3 Elliot Page set photo
On Instagram, Elliot Page shared the first photo from the set of Umbrella Academy season 3, a shot of the show’s new logo — an umbrella, with the number three, and a sparrow.
Umbrella Academy season 3 cast
The Umbrella Academy season 3 cast will include all of the main actors playing the Hargreeves siblings:
- Elliot Page as Vanya aka Number Seven, who can convert soundwaves into a destructive force
- Tom Hopper Luther aka Number One, who has super strength and the upper body of an ape
- David Castaneda as Diego aka Number Two, who can curve the trajectory of anything he throws
- Emmy Raver-Lampman as Allison aka Number Three, who can control minds with the phrase “I heard a rumor…”
- Robert Sheehan as Klaus aka Number Four, who can communicate with the dead and make them corporeal for a temporary time
- Aidan Gallagher as Number Five, who can travel through space and time
- Justin H. Min as Ben aka Number Six, who can unleash huge tentacles from his body
In addition to the seven Hargreeves siblings, Netflix confirmed that we will also see two more family members and friends.
- Colm Feore as Sir Reginald Hargreeves, a billionaire industrialist who adopted the siblings. In season 2, he is unmasked as an alien lifeform
- Ritu Arya as Lila Pitts, the Handler’s adopted daughter and Diego’s girlfriend, who turns out to have mirroring superpowers.
There are also a number of supporting characters from the first two seasons who may pop up again. Since the siblings returned to an altered timeline (more about that below), even previously dead characters could show up. Or we may see some characters in flashbacks, visions or ghosts that appear to Klaus. They include:
- Jordan Claire Robbins as Grace Hargreeves, the siblings’ robot mom in season 1 and Reginald’s human girlfriend in season 2
- Adam Godley and Ken Hall as Pogo, an intelligent chimpanzee who serves as Reginald’s assistant. Godley provides the voice and facial capture, while Hall provides the body motion capture
- Kate Walsh as The Handler, the head of the Commission
- Mary J. Blige as Cha-Cha, a Commission agent
- Cameron Britton as Hazel, a Commission agent and Cha-Cha’s partner
- Sheila McCarthy as Agnes Rofa, a waitress and Hazel’s love interest
- Ashley Madekwe as Detective Eudora Patch, Diego’s ex-girlfriend
- Cody Ray Thompson as Dave, a Vietnam War soldier and Klaus’ love interest
- Ken Hall as Herb, a Commission worker and now temporary head of the agency
- Patrice Goodman as Dot, a Commission worker
- Marin Ireland as Sissy Cooper, Vanya’s love interest in 1963 Dallas
- Yusuf Gatewood as Raymond Chestnut, Allison’s husband in 1963 Dallas
- Justin Paul Kelly as Harlan Cooper, Sissy’s young son who takes on a bit of Vanya’s powers
Netflix also unveiled the new cast members playing the Sparrows in Umbrella Academy season 3, along with their character descriptions.
Of course, we already know of one: Justin H. Min as Ben, although this Ben (Sparrow #2) is described as “scheming, tactical and vicious, determined to gain his status as leader.”
The Sparrows are coming in season 3 ☂️ https://t.co/lbWMQvnQet pic.twitter.com/GqePLzRCYtJanuary 11, 2021
His Sparrow siblings are:
- Justin Cornwell as Marcus (Sparrow #1), a natural born leader that oozes confidence and keeps the family together who is equally as charming as he is chiseled and colossus.
- Britne Oldford as Fei (Sparrow #3), who sees the world in a special way. She’s typically the smartest person in the room and willing to negotiate – yet, once you cross her, there’s no turning back.
- Jake Epstein as Alphonso (Sparrow #4), a scarred crime-fighter with a caustic and biting sense of humor who enjoys verbally berating his enemies, almost as much as he enjoys a good pizza and a six-pack of beer.
- Genesis Rodriguez as Sloane (Sparrow #5), a romantic dreamer eager to see the world beyond the academy. Even though she feels tied down to her family, Sloane has plans of her own…and she may just act on them.
- Cazzie David as Jayme (Sparrow #6), a loner with a fear-inducing snarl you’d be wise to avoid at all costs. She doesn’t say much because she doesn’t have to.
- Existential Dread Inducing Psykronium Cube aka Christopher (Sparrow #7) is a telekinetic cube that can turn the room freezing cold and induce paralyzing fear without so much of a warning. The trustworthy, loyal oracle of the Sparrows is treated as just another sibling.
let the games begin. 🐦x☂️ pic.twitter.com/afItQt1v4OJanuary 31, 2021
Umbrella Academy season 3 trailer
There is no Umbrella Academy season 3 trailer yet, so don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise. We’ll add one here once it’s been released.
Umbrella Academy season 3 theories and plot
The Umbrella Academy season 3 will have a whole lot to unpack from the enormous cliffhanger from the season 2 finale. So, first, let’s explain what happened in the finale.
The finale takes place on November 22, 1963 (aka the day JFK was assassinated). Earlier, the siblings had averted the Doomsday apocalypse, as seen by Number Five. It turned out that Vanya, once again, was “the bomb.” But unlike in their present-day timeline, they were able to defuse her. Or, we should say: Ben defused her. Ghost Ben merged into Vanya and talked her down. Unfortunately, he ended up sacrificing himself and his spirit passed on.
Afterward, the Hargreeves siblings go to Sissy’s farm, as Vanya had figured out that part of her power had been ingested by Sissy’s son, Harlan. As Vanya tries to soothe him, the Handler shows up with an army of Commission agents to take out the siblings for good.
Vanya uses her power to wipe out the entire army — but the Handler and her adopted daughter, Lila, survive. It turns out Lila also has a power! She can mirror any one of the siblings and deploy their power right back at them (think Rogue in X-Men).
But the siblings, led by Diego, try to turn Lila to their side. They tell her the Handler plotted the murder of Lila’s parents, then stole her and is now using Lila for her own agenda. Diego pleads for Lila to join their family. But just as she’s wavering, the Handler guns them all down. Then, the final Swedish assassin shows up and kills her.
Number Five manages to survive and remembers advice his father had given him about rewinding time second by second, minute by minute. So he travels back in time just a bit. Just when the Handler shows up, he takes her gun. But the assassin still arrives and shoots the Handler. He and Number Five have a stare-down and then reach a detente, so the assassin leaves. The siblings are safe.
Herb from the Commission arrives and tells the Hargreeves they can take a suitcase and return to their timeline. Before they go, Vanya bids Sissy a teary farewell and takes back her bit of power from Harlan (or so she thinks).
The siblings take the suitcase portal back to their timeline — April 2, 2019. And since the family mansion is still intact and the world hasn’t ended, it appears the original apocalypse was averted.
But within the mansion, they find some curious changes and a big shock: their dead father, Reginald! How is he alive? He calls forward a group of shadowy figures, whom he calls the Sparrow Academy. Turns out that the Umbrella Academy doesn’t exist!
And even more shocking is the appearance of Ben! He looks different — longer hair, a scar on his face. But somehow, he’s alive and not a ghost only visible to Klaus in this new present-day timeline. And he has no idea who any of his siblings are.
So, what’s going on? Well, as it happens with most time travel, the siblings’ adventures in 1963 Dallas seem to have altered the course of events.
Recall that 43 non-pregnant women gave birth simultaneously and surprisingly. Reginald adopted seven of them. Since Reg met the adult versions of his children in 1963, he seems to have chosen to adopt different babies this time around. He still adopted Ben, since he didn’t see Ghost Ben in 1963.
Time travel: Can’t make sense of it, can’t seem to make a superhero story without it.